Judge Aileen Cannon to oversee former President Donald Trump case.

June 9, 2023: Sources indicate that U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, appointed by former President Donald Trump in 2020, will be assigned to oversee his case, at least initially. This adds a unique twist to the situation as it involves the first federal charges against a former president, with the judge appointed by the person facing the charges. If Trump is convicted, Judge Cannon would be responsible for determining his sentence, potentially including prison time.

Late Thursday, a federal grand jury voted to indict Trump on at least seven federal charges related to his handling of classified documents. Over 100 documents with classified markings were discovered at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in August 2022. Trump maintains his innocence and denies any wrongdoing.

Judge Cannon has previous involvement in the case. She appointed a “special master” to review the materials seized from Mar-a-Lago last year. Some legal experts criticized her for favoring Trump in certain rulings during the proceedings. For example, she initially restricted the FBI from using the seized documents as part of their ongoing investigation until she completed her review. However, her order was later overturned by an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals panel, which determined that she exceeded her jurisdiction.

Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who signed off on the initial search warrant of Mar-a-Lago and ruled to unseal the search affidavit, is also involved in the proceedings against Trump.

Usually, judges in federal cases are assigned randomly. However, including Cannon and Reinhart’s names on the summons may indicate that they were specifically chosen due to their previous involvement in the case. According to legal experts, this suggests a connection between the indictment and the previous search warrant.

Judge Cannon’s assignment to the case places her at the center of one of American history’s most significant and closely scrutinized criminal cases. Her rulings on various matters, including procedural motions and Trump’s attempts to dismiss the case, will substantially impact its trajectory. These developments occur as the country heads into an election year, with Trump currently considered the frontrunner for the Republican Party.

Read More: Donald Trump faces his second criminal indictment.